The Calendar Caper Or Easy Money?
by Tarma Hartley
Summary: A fic request for @thisedgeysfangirl on Tumblr based on a Mafia/Baker AU piece she did of Miles Edgeworth. Miles has a multitude of pictures taken for a calendar little realizing that they will end up being much more important than he thinks and Kay tries to be sneaky.
**KICKIN AWESOME THUMBNAIL ART IS BY thisedgeysfangirl and is used with permission! Thanks! ^_^
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 _A/N: Miles Edgeworth x Phoenix Wright do not belong to me; they belong to CAPCOM. The plot however, is mine. Based on a work by thisedgeysfangirl. Mafia/Baker AU comics that this story is based on is by Nim.  
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 _Miles has a multitude of pictures taken for a calendar little realizing that they will end up being much more important than he thinks and Kay tries to be sneaky. AU  
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A fic request for thisedgeysfangirl on Tumblr based on a Mafia/Baker AU piece she did of Miles Edgeworth. Enjoy! ^^

Vanessa Longhren's restaurant, "Bonamente Steakhaus" is an actual restaurant in Frankfort, Germany and a perfect fit! ^^ Thanks Google! ^^

Thanks also to thisedgeysfangirl for asking about something I hadn't considered which prompted an immediate addition! MUCH APPRECIATED!

Thanks to Nim and Pearls1975 for their beta reading skills, for both their suggestions and for both halves of the title! THANK YOU! MUCH APPRECIATED!

Thank you to all my readers and those who favourite and follow my work! MUCH APPRECIATED!

EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for his help, encouragement, love and for helping keeping me grounded during the writing process so I don't end up tearing my hair out! ^^ Love you, babe! 3

Hope you all enjoy! ^_^

Rated T, Mafia/Baker AU, Phoenix x Edgeworth, male/male relationships, Humor

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 _October 15th  
Shaw's Photography  
Upper West Chicago  
Chicago, Illinois  
3 P.M._

"There's the last of them, Mr. Edgeworth," the photographer, David Shaw, said with a smile, putting down his camera while Miles relaxed. "And, may I say, they turned out beautifully!"

Miles smiled and made no comment, merely nodding his head as he lifted his arms above his head and stretched. His arms felt a bit stiff from holding this particular pose for so long but he reasoned that this was only a natural reaction given that they had been here already a good part of the morning, and some of the afternoon, taking pictures for the annual "BUSINESSMEN OF CHICAGO" pinup calendar.

He thought it a rare conceit having one of these things, but he reasoned that, since it was for a good cause, he was willing to set aside his own personal feelings on the subject; in the end, much to his surprise, he found that he'd enjoyed himself.

He had to admit, with a sheepish grin, that he'd quite enjoyed the different kinds of clothing he'd been given to wear: silk pajamas, three piece business suit, casual wear and, of course, his usual day-to-day outfit.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Edgeworth," Mr. Shaw repeated, a wide smile on his face as he stuck out his hand and Miles shook it. "I think this calendar will be the best one I've _ever_ done!"

Privately, Miles doubted it but he was pleased to hear it, nonetheless as he took his white leather tench-coat from the photographer who handed it to him.

"When will the calendars be ready?" he asked, putting the trench-coat over his shoulders as he usually did. It was one of those rare warm Chicago springs so he wore his coat over his shoulders instead of putting it o since he felt much more comfortable that way.

"I have a few more pictures to take so it should be done within the week. Is this all right with you?"

Miles nodded. "Perfect."

"How many would you like?"

Miles thought a moment. "I'll take six," he said at last, "for gifts for some friends and a couple of my associates."

The photographer nodded as he marked down the information in his order book.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Edgeworth," he said gratefully, shaking his hand once again while Miles looked on with amusement as he turned and began to get the next photo shoot ready before he stood and began to make his way out of the studio, pausing only to return the photographer's parting wave with one of his own.

He felt uncommonly good as he walked out of the studio, taking a deep breath of the warm spring air as he walked toward the corner where Gumshoe was standing beside the car and waiting for him to return. He immediately opened the door when he arrived at the corner and he stepped in without missing a beat, pulling in his feet as Gumshoe closed the door.

Once he'd gotten in himself and was settled in behind the wheel, he asked, "How did it go, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"Perfectly," he replied a wide smile on his face as he turned his head ot look out the window as Gumshoe turned the key in the ignition and the car began to slowly pull away from the curb to merge with the evening rush hour traffic. "Everything went smoothly and without a hitch."

"That's great, Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe navigated the evening traffic smoothly as they drove back to his office on Chicago's Upper West side, Miles gazing out of the tinted passenger's side window as they went.

Miles picked up the car phone and punched in a number, waiting patiently as they stopped at a red light, humming softly to himself, dimly aware of Gumshoe's index finger tapping a rhythm on the steering wheel as they waited.

 _"The Bun Agency, Phoenix Wright speaking. How may I help you?"  
_  
Miles smiled as the light turned green and the car started forward again.

"Hello, Phoenix," he said, his voice smooth and happy.

 _"Miles! It's wonderful to hear from you! How are you?"_ The joy in his lover's voice was plain and he couldn't help but smile.

He loved talking to Phoenix and, the more often he could do so, the better his day seemed to go. He had been seeing the baker steadily for over a year now and it was, by far, the happiest of his life.

"I'm quite well, thank you. How are you?"

 _"Busy."_ A chuckle followed along with some shuffling noises and the sound of a cash register which meant that he was busy taking care of a customer at the present. Miles didn't mind waiting; in fact, ever since he had lent Phoenix the money to rebuild _The Bun Agency-_ he had _insisted_ on paying him back, despite Miles' objections to the contrary-Phoenix's business had been booming and he'd hired more people to keep up with the increased orders. _"Since we've rebuilt, orders have quadrupled since then and I'm rushing about trying to fill them!"_

Miles chuckled as they turned the corner and drove down the street. "I can imagine and I'm glad that business is going so well for you these days."

 _"Thanks to your support and help. I'm VERY grateful for it and I can't thank you enough for everything you did in helping me rebuild."  
_  
Miles smiled softly, a soft pink blush creeping into his cheeks. Gumshoe gave him an odd look, his eyes flickering up to meet his briefly in the rear view mirror before they looked back at the road again. In truth, it was Phoenix who was helping him far more than the reverse.

Ever since he and the baker had been seeing each other, he'd noticed a definite softening in himself and he was grateful for it. He couldn't completely let his guard down-it would have been foolishly suicidal to do so, given his position in the Underworld-but he could, and did, deal a little more softly with others than he used to. Not by much, but some.

"It's my pleasure, Phoenix," he replied, his eyes flickering once more to the window and then back again.

They talked some more and, before Miles hung up, they had made a date for later on that evening for dinner and then a play at the theatre.

"As much as I am enjoying this conversation, Phoenix, I have to go for now. I would love to take you out tonight; how about I pick you up at work at 7:30?"  
 _  
"Better make it eight."_ Phoenix's voice was playful. _"I've got most of the orders filled that were made today but I will need to stay a bit later in order to get them all done and ready to be shipped out tomorrow morning."_

"All right; eight it is."  
 _  
"Okay, see you then! Love you!"_

"I love you, too, Phoenix. I'll see you tonight."

 _"Okay! Looking forward to it!"_

After he'd hung up the phone, he sat back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the scenery pass by as they made their way up the street and then the turn that would take them to his office.

 _So am I, Phoenix. So am I..._  
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 _October 15th  
Upper West Chicago  
Chicago, Illinois  
3:30 P.M._

Kay Faraday looked cautiously from out behind the wall where she'd been standing, making sure that her Boss was well away. She didn't want him to know that she was even here since she thought that he _wouldn't_ fully approve of her actions.

Mr. Wright had sought out her help earlier that day, explaining that he wanted to surprise Miles with a gift calendar and wanted to know if she could get the photographer's digital camera card so he could take it to another photographer down the street on the same block and have it made up since he knew that Miles would be going to have a session with him today.

She'd agreed enthusiastically to the plan and he had sworn her to secrecy, telling her not to let the cat out of the bag until he could give it to him tonight since they had a date for later. She shrugged off the feeling as she went into the building.

The photographer was finished the last session of the day and she waited until the last customer of the day had left, nodding his head to her in greeting as she passed by on her way out of the door. It was one of Mr. Edgeworth's business associates and who had also once been his employee, Vicky Longhren. She'd gone with Mr. Edgeworth once to one of her restaurants in Upper West Chicago and couldn't wait until she went back there again. Gumshoe had promised to take her at some point.

Once she had left the building, Kay turned back and walked over to the photographer who was busily putting away his gear.

"Oh, hello, Kay," he greeted her as she walked in, waving a lazy hand at her as she entered. "How are you today?"

"Pretty good, thanks," she replied cheerfully, waving her hand around in the air.

"What can I do for you?" He turned his back a moment and put away the camera, leaving the digital card out on the table as he shut the case.

"I'm here on an errand for Mr. Edgeworth."

"Oh? Does he wish the digital card that the pictures are on?" The photographer looked pleased, his voice eager.

"Yes...that's it exactly!" _Well, not quite but close enough. It's a favor for Mr. Wright as a surprise for Mr. Edgeworth so it kind of fits._

Much to her surprise, he handed her the card without another word, a very pleased smile on his face.

"Just ask him to make sure he returns it to me after he's done with it."

"I will!" she promised gaily and, with another wave, walked quickly out of the building, taking in deep breaths.

She's done it! Now, all she had to do was to walk down the street to the other photographer who had a studio on the same block and Mr. Wright's surprise for Mr. Edgeworth would be ready by this evening!

She smiled. _This is easy money..._

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _October 15th  
Miles Edgeworth's personal office  
Upper West Chicago  
Chicago, Illinois  
4 P.M._

Miles was busily reading a document on the state of one of his casinos when he was startled by the phone ringing and, brow furrowed, he picked up the phone.

"Miles Edgeworth speaking."

 _"Mr. Edgeworth!"_ The voice was excited and for a moment he'd wondered who it was but then the next few words cleared that up quite adequately as to the identity of the caller. It was the photographer, David Shaw, from Shaw's Photography.

 _Why on earth is he calling me?_

"Yes?"

 _"I can't thank you enough for you sending Kay to get my digital camera card! You must have REALLY enjoyed the pictures that IU took today from today's session to send Kay to get my card!"_

Miles lifted an elegant eyebrow.

 _What did he say?_ **  
**  
"Please calm yourself and then tell me again what you just said."

He could hear Mr. Shaw take a few deep breaths and he waited patiently for the man to compose himself, his index finger of his left hand tapping a rhythm on the top of his desk.

"I see. Thank you for calling, Mr. Shaw and I hope that you have a pleasant day."

 _"Thank you again, Mr. Edgeworth! I can't tell you how much this means!"_

Miles smiled brittlely as they talked for a few moments more before he hung up, his face a stormy mask as he picked up the phone and dialed another number, his finger stabbing the touch tone numbers with more force than was absolutely necessary, trying to control his rising temper.

 _And she has some explaining to do..._

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 _October 15th  
Outside of Miles Edgworth's personal office  
Upper West Chicago  
Chicago, Illinois  
7 P.M._

Kay whistled merrily as she made her way to Mr. Edgeworth's office on Chicago's Upper West Side, her step light as she made her way down the darkening streets.

Mr. Edgeworth had called her earlier in the day to ask her to come to his office at seven this evening and, while she was wondering what was up since he almost never called her on one of he and Mr. Wright's date nights but reasoned that it must be important for him to call her up.

She felt the fat wad of cash in her pocket with satisfaction. That job had been _much_ easier than she had anticipated and so simple, too; all she had had to do was to mention Mr. Edgeworth's name and boom! the plum landed right in her lap, so to speak.

She'd kept her promise to the photographer and had returned his digital card immediately after the other man was finished with it.

 _It certainly is a good thing to be working for one of the most powerful Mafia dons in Chicago,_ she thought as she hurried along, waving at the doorman when she had arrived at the office building and waved her inside with a smile as he opened the door for her. _And it can sure come in handy sometimes, too!_ She pressed the elevator button and waited while it slowly came down to ground level and opened up and stepped quickly inside. She pressed another button and waited while it took her to the 15th floor. _I wonder what Mr. Edgeworth wants to talk to me about?_

Shen always thought it amusing that Mr. Edgeworth always took the stairs instead of the elevator since his office was on the fifteenth floor but didn't give it another thought as the door opened, making her way down the hall and turning right at the corner as she continued on her way to Mr. Edgeworth's office.

Once she had arrived, she knocked on the cherrywood door with light raps and opened the door when she heard Mr. Edgeworth's voice telling her to come in.

"You wanted to see me, Boss?" she asked as she walked in.

"Yes, Kay," he said mildly from across the room and she could see that he was sitting behind his desk, his back to her. "Thank you for coming." She thought that she had detected a slight bite in his tone but didn't think anything of it as she made her way inside, closing the door softly behind her, hearing him turn around.

"My pleasure, Boss!"

She walked up to the foot of the desk, her face wreathed in smiles, his face not betraying any kind of emotion.

"What can I do for you?"

"You can start by handing over the money that you made this afternoon." His tone was mild but his eyes were stone cold as she stared, stunned, at her employer. "And also _why_ you thought it was a good idea to drop _my_ name to the photographer in order to get _his_ digital camera card."

 _Oh...heck..._

Her heart dropped right to her shoes with this pronouncement and she felt her palms start to sweat. She'd been found out and the last thing she wanted to do was to lie to Mr. Edgeworth; she knew that he could see right through her so lying would be pointless.

"How did you find out?"

"Mr. Shaw called me an hour ago to thank me for having you pick up his digital camera card." His dark grey eyes bored holes into hers. "He was quite thrilled, to say the least and called me to thank me for sending you to pick it up." She gritted her teeth, closing her eyes as she swallowed hard. "So I'll ask you again: _why_ did you think it would be a good idea to drop my name to him in order for you to get _his_ digital camera card?!"

"Well, I-" she started to say but shut her mouth immediately. She wasn't supposed to tell Mr. Edgeworth about Mr. Wright's request-indeed, he had sworn her to secrecy when he'd asked for her help in pulling off this surprise for Miles earlier that afternoon. She'd promised and, if there was one thing she did, it was keep her word... although this was going to land her in a lot of trouble if the look on Mr. Edgeworth's face was any indication.

She gulped; the look on his face was stormy and it was clear that he was _very_ angry with her. She told him the truth: that she had been offered a large sum of money to get the photographer's digital card so that another photographer, who had a studio on the same street, could make a calendar of his own and conveniently leaving out the part about it being at Mr. Wright's request.

When she had stopped speaking, she noticed that his brow was furrowed which was NOT a good sign; that said to her that he was _very_ angry with her and she didn't like to think about what would happen to people that Mr. Edgeworth was angry _with_. She knew what he was capable of and she tried hard to control the quaking she could feel in her legs.

He said nothing for many long moments. It was so quiet that she could have heard a pin drop and, when he held out a gloved hand palm up a few minutes later, she hesitated only briefly before she reached into her pocket and handed it over to him without a word, her sigh speaking volumes as he pocketed the cash.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Kay," he said quietly, his eyes never leaving hers and a chill ran down her spine, "that not only is it _not_ a good idea to drop _my_ name willy-nilly about the city but it is also an equally a bad idea to be a thief." He raised an elegant eyebrow, his mouth turning down at the corners. "I appreciate your honesty and that is the **ONLY** reason why you are _still_ my employee; if you _hadn't_ told me the truth..." His voice trailed off and she was mighty glad that he didn't finish the rest of the sentence. The threat was implicit enough.

"And don't you EVER pull another stunt like this again or you _won't_ get off so easily next time. Now then-" he turned away from her and looked out the window overlooking the Hudson River "-I have a date in an hour so you may go."

She turned and started to slowly walk away.

"Oh, and Kay?"

She stopped in her tracks, her back stiffening.

"Yes, Mr. Edgeworth?" She didn't turn around but waited for him to speak.

"You have the rest of the week off; report back to me on Monday." His tone was flat.

"Yes...Sir." She didn't say another word as he walked out of his office, closing the door softly behind her. She let out a deep breath as she leaned against the door for a moment, reflecting on just how lucky she was to have escaped with her skin intact on this one. She would take the time to think through the repercussions of her actions in the future because she might not be so lucky next time.

Kay walked slowly down the hall, her countenance drooping as she she made her way back to the elevator and on her way out of the building.  
 _  
At least I still have a job so that's a good thing._ She sighed as she waited for the doorman to call her a cab to take her home. _And I can't say that a few days off aren't a good thing so I can relax... and make sure that, if I ever do this again, that I don't get caught next time._ Her eyebrow raised as the cab drove up to the corner and the doorman hurried to open the door for her as she climbed in, closing it behind her once she was safely ensconced inside _. And Mr. Wright owes_ me _a HUGE favor!_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _Later that night..._

 _October 15th  
Bonamente Steakhaus (Vanessa Longhren's German Restaurant)  
Upper West Chicago  
Chicago, Illinois  
8:30 P.M.  
_  
Miles was still angry with Kay when he went to _The Bun Agency_ to pick up Phoenix at eight o'clock that evening although he was doing his best to keep his temper.

Phoenix noticed and asked him if he was all right and what the matter was; Miles smiled and laughed it off, saying he had just had to discipline an employee and was in a bit of a mood because of it and swiftly changed the subject by asking about Phoenix's day.

As his lover relayed the eventful day he'd had, Miles couldn't help but notice that he was holding a small wrapped package. His curiosity piqued, he asked him what it was. Phoenix didn't say anything only, "It's a surprise" and refused to say anything more about it., an enigmatic smile on his face.

Miles shrugged and then forgot about it after they were seated at their usual table: a booth near the back where they could have some privacy. They held hands across the table while they perused the menu, ordered their meals and talked until their respective dinners came.

They dug in and nothing more was said for the next twenty minutes while they ate, soft moans of pleasure coming from their lips as the flavors burst out over their tongues. They looked at each other and chuckled as they resumed eating, their fingers brushing against each other's before they returned to their plates, enjoying the repast immensely.

It was during their coffee and apple strudel after dinner that Phoenix handed him the package.

"Surprise, Miles!"

Miles smiled softly as he accepted it, his eyes misting.

"Thank you, Phoenix," he said, turning the package over in his hands. "What is it?"

"Open it and see."

His eyebrow raised as he saw his lover's mysterious smile but he obeyed, opening the soft pastel colored wrapping paper and gasping as he brought out the calendar with his picture on the front. His eyes widened as he recognized the picture: it was the same one that the photographer had taken of him earlier that day! How on earth had he gotten ahold of it?  
 _  
Wait a minute..._ He looked again at the photograph and saw, though it was the _same_ photo that Mr. Shaw had taken of him earlier, the _background_ was considerably different. The photo was set in a beautifully colored background of purples, reds, blues and yellow, a kaleidoscope of color that blended together beautifully; to Miles' trained eye, it looked like an illustration in a medieval Book of Hours and the photo fit perfectly into its colorful heart, as if it had been specifically made for it.

Which, he reasoned as he flipped through four more pages, it appeared as if it _had._ Each of the photographs had been placed in paintings and it gave them an entirely new life than they had previously, each one having its own specific background. The colors brought out the color of his various pieces of clothing beautifully and he was amazed at how vibrantly alive it each looked.

He was silent for some time and, when he looked up again, he saw the anxious look on his lover's face. He smiled to reassure him and Phoenix visibly relaxed, his shoulders slumping in relief.

"Do you like it?" he asked, his voice soft.

Miles nodded as he flipped open the calendar and perused the pictures. They were of top notch quality and he was impressed the more he looked through them.

"I'm so glad!" His voice was eager. "I asked Kay to help me since she knew the photographer-"

Miles stopped in mid flip, his eyes widening as the full import of Phoenix's words sank in.

"Kay?" he repeated stupidly, his fingers beginning to tremble slightly against the page. "Kay— _helped_ you?"

Phoenix nodded eagerly. "I asked her to ask the photographer to give her the digital camera card so I could take it to a fiend of mine who has a studio on the same block, explaining that I wanted to give you a surprise gift. She agreed."

Miles closed his eyes, groaning softly.

Phoenix's eyes narrowed. "Are you all right, Miles?"

He nodded, his cheeks starting to turn red in embarrassment.

"I'm fine, Phoenix." He looked at his lover, the corners of his lips twitching. "I just owe her a massive apology come Monday morning."

"You do? Why?"

He sighed, taking a deep breath, his cheeks coloring even further.

"She was the employee I'd disciplined earlier today."

Phoenix leaned forward, his fingers lacing with Miles'. "She was? Why?"

Miles swallowed. "The photographer called earlier this afternoon to thank me for sending Kay to ask for his digital camera card; I, of course, had _no_ idea about any of this and had her come to my office where I... gave her a _very_ stern... _dressing down_." He didn't add that he'd also blatantly threatened her; he'd felt mortified enough as it was. "I...I thought that she was name-dropping and she had a substantial amount of money on her which I assumed she'd received from the other photographer..." His voice trailed off again.

Phoenix stared at him for a few seconds in complete silence before he started to chuckle, his fingers tightening against Miles' as he stared at him.

"Well, then," he said reasonably, "I should think that you owe her an apology and some form of restitution, as well." He winked at him and Miles relaxed, a small smile spreading across his lips as his fingers tightened against Phoenix's. "After all, she _did_ do a favor for me."

He still felt embarrassed over the whole situation with Kay but he was happy that Phoenix had seen some humor in it and he'd even managed to laugh a little at himself as he nodded and made no other comment on the subject. They went on to enjoy the rest of their evening together and ended it by snuggling in the back of the darkened movie theatre where they had gone to see a movie that they had read about two weeks earlier in the local newspaper.

Miles couldn't help but think about how lucky he was to have Phoenix in his life and how much better it was. His arm tightened around his shoulders and Phoenix looked up at him, a dazzling smile on his face before he settled back down, nuzzling his neck before laying his head on his shoulder.

Miles smiled gently, his fingers tightening on his shoulder as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss to his temple, Phoenix murmuring with pleasure as he did so.

Miles chuckled, leaning his head against his lover's as they cuddled together.

 _After all, he's right and I do owe her some restitution but I think I'll wait to tell her that on Monday._ He chuckled ruefully and closed his eyes. _I have the feeling that she's going to have a field day over this one._

He chuckled once more, leaning back a little as he felt Phoenix's head lift, their lips meeting in a tender kiss.

 **.:FIN:.**


End file.
